Probe claims of minors' custody: SC to Juvenile justice

The Supreme Court on Tuesday told the 4-member juvenile justice committee of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to examine afresh the allegations of detention of minors by security forces in the state after the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution.

A bench of Justices N V Ramana, R Subhash Reddy, and B R Gavai asked the committee to place its report as expeditiously as possible and posted the hearing for December 3.

The bench said there is a need for examining the allegations afresh as the earlier report of the committee was not in accordance with the apex court order due to time constraints.

The top court was hearing a petition by child rights activist Enakshi Ganguly, alleging illegal detention of minors in Kashmir.

After hearing arguments, the bench noted that "the exercise entrusted to the committee was not carried out in letter and spirit of the order of the apex court due to time constraints".

The bench observed that the order passed by the apex court on September 20 had reached the committee on September 23 and after two days, the Jammu and Kashmir DGP filed a report on September 25 in which he categorically refuted the assertions and allegations made in the media and the petition.

The committee's report also contained the findings of the Additional DGP denying allegations of illegal detention of juveniles in Kashmir.

It had told the Supreme Court that 144 juveniles were detained in the state after the Centre abrogated provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution, but 142 minors were later released.

The committee, in its report filed in the apex court, had said the remaining two were sent to juvenile homes.

On Tuesday, the court also asked the counsel to remove objectionable words relating to the members of the committee.